Be resilient and ready for rebound

By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government and Coordinating Affairs chairman.

I would like to remind the public to remain resilient and be confident of an economic rebound from the coronavirus.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that Malaysia’s economy will bounce back to a 9% growth next year, from an expected 1.7% contraction this year.

This is believed to be the fastest among the Asean-5 economies, which also comprise of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

There’s a lot of theories going around now about the nature of the coronavirus, which can trigger paranoia. What we need now is as much credible information as possible and every country, including China, has to be forthcoming about what they know about the virus. This is not the time to be saving face or pointing fingers. The main narrative should be to save lives and economies so that normalcy will return.

Actually, if you think about it, an increase in the number of cases of patients who tested positive for Covid-19 may not be a bad thing. The reason for the lockdown was to break the chain of the spread of the virus. We want to flush those who have the virus from the streets so that they don’t go around infecting others.

The government and relevant authorities now have to beef up efforts to track down illegal foreign workers who may be infected but are just too afraid to seek medical help.

Sooner or later, the lockdown will be lifted.

The coronavirus pandemic brings to mind the AIDs phenomenon. Until today there is no vaccine for AIDS but because there is sufficient information about AIDs, we know how to prevent it.

Similarly, we are fearful of Covid-19 because we are still groping in the dark, with the vague and distorted information that we have. For lives and economies to get back on track again, we need to know everything about Covid-19.

If we don’t know this “enemy” yet by the time the MCO is lifted, we will be paranoid and fearful.

For now, all borders should remain closed. We should not permit travellers to come in yet as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, we have to be optimistic. Have faith in our leaders. Have faith in yourself that we can get through this if we continue to practice social distancing.

April 17, 2020 0

Port worker in a fix after RM4,000 debt surges to RM25,000

Michael Tay listening to Mohd pouring out his woes at the Johor MCA Complaints Bureau recently.

All of us are facing different challenges in the Covid-19 pandemic. Some are wondering when is their next meal coming, some are worried about their health, their income, and so much more.

Mohd, 39, is worried about facing the wrath of 12 loan sharks and settling his debt of RM25,000.

Mohd (not his real name) had initially borrowed RM4,000 from a loan shark in March. The port worker had agreed to pay the loan shark RM800 every week. He has borrowed money from loan sharks in the past but settling the debts was never a problem then, as he has a monthly salary and a part-time job.

But due to the Movement Control Order, Mohd was not able to do any part-time work and he had turned to other loan sharks. Now the amount has swelled to RM25,000 and he has 12 loan sharks to deal with.

None of the loan sharks has taken any physical action against Mohd yet but they have been nudging him via WhatsApp to pay up or interest will be accrued daily if he fails to settle the payment, which is currently a total of RM8,000 to be paid among the 12 loan sharks per week.

“It’s not that I do not want to pay but I only get my salary once a month and I can’t go out to work part-time. How can I pay every week?”

Mohd has sought Johor MCA Government and Coordinating Affairs chairman Michael Tay’s help to get him out of his predicament.

Tay said he would liaise with the loan sharks on Mohd’s behalf to ask if they could waive the daily interest.

“Mohd has promised to settle his debt after the MCO but he would not be able to do so if the interest keeps adding up.

“I will discuss with the loan sharks to see if they are willing to withhold charging the interest until after the lockdown,” Tay said.

Tay’s advice to the public is to take up delivery jobs as there are many food operators looking for delivery services.

“That is the only way for people, especially sole breadwinners to put food on the table for their family,” he said.

Tay also called on the government to expedite the disbursement of financial assistance of RM600 for a maximum period of six months under the Perikatan Nasional economic stimulus package to employees who are forced to take unpaid leave.

The third phase of the MCO in Malaysia started today. The first phase was from March 18 to 31, followed by the second phase from April 1 to April 14.

April 15, 2020 0

Know the things we eat and use

Food labels and product information are a requirement for all manufacturers but how many of us actually read the labels, and even if we do, do we know what’s good and what’s not?

Like “low-fat” food products, for instance. It doesn’t necessarily mean low-fat means it’s actually healthier as the product may have high-fructose corn syrup or refined flour. Anything that is processed and not natural, is not healthy. If we want to be healthy, go for food that are naturally low in fat or contain healthy fats.

What prompted me to write about this was because I came across this list of 20 toxic additives that should not be found in cosmetic products. They are —

Dibutylhydroxytoluene (DHT), Mineral Oil, Butylhydroxyanisole (BHA), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sorbic Acid, Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Imidazolidinyl urea, Isopropyl methylphenol, Isopropyl alcohol, Artificial flavour, Thymol, Triethanolamine (TEA), Trisopropanotamine, Triclosan, Paraben, Phenoxyethanol, Polyethylene glycol (PEG), Synthetic colorants, Hormones.

There’s also this non-profit environmental group in the US called Environmental Working Group (EWG) that sets the guidelines on the safety level of cosmetic ingredients.

I don’t even know what all those fancy words are but now that I’ve come across that information, I better start reading the labels before buying any cosmetic products.

Anyway, if you need to do any online shopping, do check out my affiliate links.

Zalora, Asia’s Online Fashion Destination, which has a wide range of international and local brands.

https://accesstra.de/000ltn000fj9

2. GOOGLE Home Assistant Mini Smart Speaker pack of 2 (Chalk). The Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) seems to be selling pretty well, so I’m not sure which of these two product is better. Need to ask Alexa.

https://www.lazada.com.my/products/new-google-home-assistant-mini-smart-speaker-pack-of-2-chalk-i790862688-s1827320942.html

And before I sign off, do remember to lend a helping hand to the animals that need us in this challenging time.

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Adopt Kayla

April 14, 2020 0

Turn to home delivery

**Michael Tay seen here with the frontliners during his visit to the hospital in JB last month.**

Food and beverage operators have to embrace e-commerce and revolutionalise the way they do business in light of the coronavirus pandemic to avoid bankruptcy.

Johor MCA Government and Coordinating Affairs chairman Michael Tay said F&B operators may not earn as much as they used to but at least there would still be income coming in if they offer only home delivery service for now.

“These operators have to promote their business via their websites or other social media platforms if they are not already on FoodPanda or GrabFood.

“They cannot be waiting for the MCO to be lifted to resume their business. I’m glad to see that some have already started promoting on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, but there are still many who are still just waiting and complaining,” Tay said.

Tay said the government has already tried to help business operators and landlords have also reduced rentals for business premises, so the people should do their bit to ride out the storm just by doing business in a different way.

“Covid-19 looks like a stubborn disease that isn’t going away anytime soon and there are different strains of Covid-19. So even if the MCO is lifted, the public still needs to wear mask when they are outdoors and practice social distancing.

“E-commerce plays a major role in today’s marketplace and Covid-19 may have catapulted some into financial crisis but it has also prompted others to revolutionalise and embrace the new economy,” he said.

On a separate matter, Tay said he has received 5 complaints since the MCO was introduced on March 18 that some members of the public have turned to online gambling to ease their boredom during the lockdown.

“A 26-year-old man recently incurred debts of up to RM8,000 due to online gambling and he had turned to loan sharks to settle his debts.

“What this young man has done is detrimental to himself and his family members. Please do not turn to online gambling,” Tay said.

April 12, 2020 0

Online directory Salehoo

With more shoppers going online to buy groceries, electronics and a whole lot of other stuff now, it’s time to start learning about E-commerce.

And with the lockdown, we better equip ourselves with a new skill or a new discovery or something. If you’re not a frontliner and you’re not in the essential industry, then you’re probably housebound.

I’m familiar with affiliate marketing but dropshipping always baffles me, so I decided to do some research.

Drop Shipping is a retail fulfilment method where the drop shipper accepts the cash and places the order on behalf of the client. The supplier then ships out the product according to the details the drop shipper has provided. In this business model, the drop shipper does not need to keep an inventory or a warehouse to store the products.

Being a newbie, you will find it hard to identify reliable drop shippers, profitable products to sell and trustworthy suppliers. But you may require more than just a directory to have a successful e-commerce business.

You still need to do more research and go through some trials and errors. But having access to a directory may be like getting your hands on a road map or a GPS.

How does a drop shipper make money?

You do not need a physical shop but an online store is required so that you can showcase the products that you can drop ship. To make a profit, there’s usually a 10 to 50% mark-up.

The easiest way to find drop shippers is through SaleHoo, a paid online directory that has over 8,000 drop shippers and wholesalers. For US$67 (MYR290) per year, you have access to numerous products which are popular and trending. There are also training and resources videos available, and a community where you may find people to network with.

There are plenty of drop shippers out there, particularly in China, but for a newbie you’ll be swimming in a sea of sharks and piranhas if you dive in clueless.

*ClickBank E-commerce product service and this is my affiliate link https://www.salehoo.com/learn-more?aff=shopwithbe

April 11, 2020 0

It’s all about the love

It doesn’t taste that bad actually — Garlic Water.

Since we can’t roam outdoors, we can either surf the net for new things to explore and learn or we can go within to search for all the answers.

This forced downtime has allowed many of us to do that. I saw a lot of food pictures on Facebook and Instagram lately. People learning how to cook, and discovering their talent and passion for cooking.

Why Drink Garlic Water Daily?

How To Grow Garlic At Home – Fast & Easy

I’ve always wanted to have a garden with all the herbs and fruit trees, vegetables but I never tried planting anything. Maybe I’ve tried before once in a while but nothing grew. Haha. Nevermind. It’s time to hit the reboot button.

Time to love myself a little more. Love my pets a little more. Love the people in my life and around me. Love my home. Just love love love. Nothing but love.

April 6, 2020 0

Hospitals receive medications worth RM3,000

Doctors and healthcare workers in Johor who are treating Covid-19 patients today saw a ray of hope when they received medications worth RM3,000 today.

Paracetamol and azithromycin were contributed by Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman Michael Tay, who recently also led a team of volunteers to distribute canned drinks and packed food to medical frontliners.

As Tay had earlier promised, the medicines bought from private pharmacies upon getting advice from a qualified medical doctor, were given to the medical team locked in a battle with the coronavirus pandemic.

Tay, who is also the former Hospital Sultanah Aminah visitors board chairman, said the medicines would be used to treat patients at the Permai Hospital and Hospital Enche’ Besar Hajjah Khalsom, aka Kluang Hospital.

“We always keep in touch with Dr Aman Rabu (Johor state Health Director) who updates us on the current needs of health workers.

“I learnt today that more than 400 patients who were infected with Covid-19 and were admitted to Permai Hospital and Kluang Hospital have been discharged so far. The mortality rate was only two to three percent and those who succumbed had weak immune systems.

“With proper medication and rest which can build up one’s immune system, recovery is quite certain. There’s hope for those who have contracted Covid-19 with these medications and the dedicated doctors at work.

“We believe these medications that we’ve contributed will reinforce the recovery process, and we will supply more when needed. But the public also needs to observe the lockdown seriously as we need to flatten the curve.

“A total of 250 personal protective equipments (PPE) will also be given out when the supply from China arrives,” Tay said after handing over the medicines at the Permai Hospital.

*Tay (3rd from left) handing over the medications to Dr Fahmi (4th from left)*

Showing appreciation to Covid-19 frontliners

These are trying times for everyone. Some will just stay at home and complain of boredom or lash out at others without thinking of the bigger picture. Some will rise to the challenge and continue to deliver public service to the people that need it.

Among the few good men out there who isn’t “all talk and no action” is Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman Michael Tay who recently led a team of 25 volunteers to distribute 1,200 canned drinks and packed food to the frontliners of Kluang Hospital and Hospital Permai in Johor Bahru, namely the doctors and all medical staff.

Michael Tay and team distributing food and drinks to frontliners

Tay, who is also the former Hospital Sultanah Aminah visitors board chairman, wanted to show his appreciation to the frontliners who had been working tirelessly to serve patients since the pandemic started. Although the situation in Johor is under control as there are currently sufficient ventilators, breathing tubes and beds, Tay learnt that the hospitals are facing a shortage of medicines and PPE suits.

Tay and his team will also be contributing paracetamol and azithromycin to the two hospitals as soon as the supplies arrived.

“I have already placed the orders and they should be arriving soon. I hope to deliver them to the hospitals by early next week,” Tay said, adding that he is also scouting for medical visors and PPE suits and appeal to non-governmental to chip in if they can.

Besides the food and drinks, Tay and his team also contributed face shields for doctors to enter the ward where Covid-19 patients are being treated.

The team also contributed face shields to doctors

“At first I didn’t understand the need for a lockdown, but now after talking to the hospital staff I’m beginning to understand the need for a lockdown. It is not to overwhelm the hospitals.

“There are two types of quarantine. One is self-quarantine and the other is to be quarantined at the hospital.

“Now if you have minor symptom, you should take paracetamol and isolate yourself in a room so as not to infect the other members of your family. If your condition worsens, you should take azithromycin which is an antibiotic. But if you have respiratory problems, you need to go to the hospital immediately as they have oxygen tanks.

“Social distancing is the new norm now. A lockdown is necessary to flatten the curve. Together we can do this,” Tay said, adding that Malaysia has its own model to handle Covid-19.

“We cannot follow Singapore or other countries because the density and culture is different for every country. Singapore is densely-populated while Malaysia is not. If everyone practises what they’ve been told — maintain 6ft. from one another, wear masks when they are outdoors, do not congregate — we should be able to stop the multiplication of the virus and life will get back to normal again.“It is vital to boost up your immunity system and please do not offend China. They are powerful and rich. We need all the help we can get now to get over this crisis!” Tay added.

After food and drinks, next will be *paracetamol and azithromycin* while Tay also scouts for visors

March 29, 2020 1

Reset button

Covid-19 is really here to force us to take a pause, stay at home and reflect. We are surrounded by a fog now with so many uncertainties, and with time on our hands now, we can do some of the things that we’ve been wanting to do but never could find the time to do them.

This is really nature’s way of telling us that we don’t own this earth, that other species have as much right to be here. If we don’t like them, at least don’t hurt them. They’re so adorable. How could anyone intentionally want to cause them pain and fear?

I’m currently enjoying my solitude, learning new things and missing my pets and friends back home. Can’t do much roaming now as we’re under the Restricted Movement Control order in a bid to prevent the virus from spreading. Staying home is like doing our bit for the country and for humanity.

Sending love to dear ones near and far. Jauh di mata namun dekat di hati.

March 24, 2020 0

Dim sum for comfort and bliss

Hello again,

Yes, I’ve gone missing for a while. No, I’ve not been unwell, just a little busy. I have no problem with working at home. Am sad that this global pandemic has affected everyone of us, with the worldwide death toll reaching more than 11,000 as of time of writing.

Kudos to those in the medical profession, healthcare, food and all essential industries, the police and army personnels, road sweepers and garbage collectors. Thank you for being out there.

We will get through this. Love and compassion will get us through this. There’s social distancing now, but somehow that has drawn some of us closer. Be kind to one another, be kind to the earth, be kind to animals.

As I need to comply with the call to stay indoors under the Restricted Movement Order, I ordered food from Restaurant Kam Hin.

Yummy! Yummy! Really enjoying my staycation. Today’s meal for the entire day costs RM27.95 (minus the bottled mineral water).

My favourite was the spare ribs. The others were good too but maybe by lunch time they’ve gone cold so … but the spare ribs tasted delicious whether hot or cold.

The big pau with mushroom, egg and chicken filling was extremely filling for me.

I love this herbal tea very much. It is a refreshing thirst quencher which has a cooling effect on the body.

Restaurant Kam Hin is located at Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park, off Kuchai Lama in Kuala Lumpur.

March 21, 2020 0